There has been a campaign going to try and get government funding for increases to child care workers wages.

This last week it was announced that the campaign was successful. I am a little skeptical I am sad to say.

Basically how it works is CCB approved centres (only) are able to apply for funding to pay their workers from around $3-5 per hour extra.

However there is enough funding for only 40% of all centres, so basically 60% of us will have to remain on the existing wages while the lucky others get the raise.

Centres have to apply and the funding is first in first served, once the money is gone, that's it.

Funding exists for a period of 2 years only - nothing is clear about what happens then (imagine the fee increase required to cover that payrise if there is no funding).

My concerns are:

The competition that will arise for staff in centres with the funding and the disasterous place it will leave centres needing staff that don't have the additional wage rate.
How will centres afford to continue paying staff if the grant is taken away in 2015?
How is this recognising the value of childcare educators if it only values 40% of them.


Anyone have any thoughts, workers or parents?